Well Paige, if Aikido is fighting fire with fire, then Aikido attempts to stop violence with violence. To you, Aikido is simply violence. You even say, "...it is somewhat violent" So now do the math.
You claim Aikido is love.
You claim that Aikido is violence.
Would you claim that violence is love?

Are you saying that when someone comes to harm you they are simply showing you their love?

I thought violence was a form of coercion.

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You cant effectively stop fighting w/out knowing how to fight. I think this is the main idea of aikido.

A New York city mugger could jump on some poor housewife who has never had one boxing lesson, one Aikido lesson, nor one Judo lesson, and begin to beat the crap out of her. He may then stop momentarily to say to her, "If you want me to stop fighting you, then give me your money!) The poor housewife then hands him her money. The mugger stops fighting her and leaves. The woman has effectively stopped the fight and without knowing how to fight. This counter-example demonstrates two things. First, that you do NOT have to know how to fight in order to be effective at stopping a fight. Second, fighting is just a form of coercion. Fighting is an attempt to physically force a person into doing what you want them to do. Fighting is an attempt to force a person to: 1) stop flirting with my girlfriend, 2) never cut me off in traffic again, 3) stop calling me names, 4) give me your money, 5) leave my family alone, and so.

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Although it is somewhat violent to learn aikido, it really IS love because it teaches you to use your skills to stop violence, and that shows love for other people

Stalin violently took over Russia. He then used his skills to stop future violent uprisings by killing anyone who might disagree with him (genocide). According to you, these violent murders of Stalin would have to be considered acts of love. Your position is absurd.
Aikido is coercion, not love.

Aikido attempts to force a person, whose goal is to hurt you, not to hurt you. It is forcing a person to do something against their will. Their will is to harm you. Your will is that they do not harm you. You try to force them to not harm you. You use Aikido as a means to accomplish this. Coercion.